FEMINIST THEORY AND THE QUESTION OF IDENTITY

Postmodern feminists now tace a dilemma when confronted with the task of developing a social and political theory. On the one hand, as postm odernists they are obliged to steer away from essential truths and uni versal identities. On the other hand, as social and political theorist s, they need to be able to generalize about the oppression of (some, i f not all) women. How, if at all, can they do so? I suggest in this es say that if feminists want to develop generalizations about women that are neither essentialist nor oppressive, they will have to shift thei r attention away from philosophy to social and political practice and view generalizations not as embodiments of universality, but as part o f a process through which we as social and political actors shape the facts around us according to our own practical concerns and projects. Such a view is developed with the help of a group of practical feminis ts who, I argue, provide us with a mode of generalization that is neit her essentialist nor oppressive.